"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors; they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It may bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence with a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men." - Samuel Adams

Lineal or hereditary societies are organizations usually requiring documented line of descent from an ancestor as a qualification for membership. There are many such organizations, each with their own objectives and requirements for joining. Listed below are only a few. The information on the following pages is provided only as a courtesy and help to anyone who may have an interest in joining a lineal or hereditary society. There is no affiliation between these organizations and the Descendants of Marie Ferree organization.